Kahunaminor

Neil could have pointed his scanner at anything just to throw everyone off the scent?
Even if he set it up in the gift shop the inevitable wishlist would appear.
 

Wow!
Plenty to see and admire here. It will be earmarked for reference for my build but I couldn’t hope to reach the same level!
 
Regards and thanks for sharing.

Beautiful work John,
 
Truly first class. I don't mean to throw a spinner but do you have access or knowledge of the stencils that were printed across the face of most late war(?) LW Metal parts? MDC prints them and they can be found here:
 
http://www.modeldesignconstruction.co.uk/mall/productpage.cfm/ModelDesignConstruction/_D32009/54283/German%20Duralumin%20Manufacturers%20Stamps
 
Apparently they are quite common on the Me 262 and other late war aircraft with natural Metal duralumin interiors.
 
Regards,

Some progress
This G2 has a pair of Rüstsatz M5 set on each wing. .  
Since there were only two rocket launchers in the AIMS set, I first worked on the left wing. Left wing rocket launhers applied
I'm waiting for the set needed for the other wing.
 

Thank you Kevin!
 
The upper wing and fuselage crosses were painted next.



 
 
Although the Eduard 1/48 Fw190A-5 instructions as well as the Eagle Cals 32-82 instructions call out black and white for the fuselage crosses, I chose to use RLM70 Black Green instead, based on the photo of Double Chevron...





 
 
The fuselage band will be masked off so I can complete the camo painting.

Thanks to Tom, I was able to get my Silhouette Portrait working again.  So it is time to paint some markings.  The underwing crosses are first.  When using multi-color masks, my default painting order is outside to inside.  This is helps prevent seepage of unwanted colors on the outside of the markings.  There are exceptions of course but this is a good general rule to follow.  One tip that greatly eases the placement of these masks is to pre-apply strips of paper (in this case, Post-Its) to the edges of the mask.  This "frame" allows you to slide the mask into position much easier than just the mask itself.  And it gives you additional, adhesive-free masking.  Try it!
 

 
 
Once the outline mask is put into position, all of the paint edges of the mask are burnished down with a wood toothpick and the white is sprayed.  To get a smooth edge, the paint layers should be thin but "dry".  Avoid pooling of paint, especially at the mask edges as this will cause the paint to crack upon mask removal.

 
 
The remaining internal mask components are taped to help hold them together.  The idea is to place these components, connected as one piece into the painted area.  The mask was pre-marked with a Sharpie for orientation purposes.  Although the shape is symmetric, there may be very slight variations in how the mask was cut so keeping the orientation will ensure a better interlocking fit of the mask components.

 
 
I use a sharp knife to help lift the pieces off the backing paper that want to separate.

 
 
The internal mask components are then carefully placed back onto the mask outline.  Make sure you give ample time for the paint to dry before putting  a mask over it.

 
 
Once the internal components are in position, the tape is removed, along with the internal cross shape that will be painted black.

 
 
To ensure the black paint doesn't seep where it is not supposed to, I like to use liquid mask to seal those joints.

 
 
The black is sprayed next.

 
 
After the paint is dry, you can remove the masks.  The liquid mask is not strong enough to keep the mask components together so you'll have to pull off the individual mask pieces one by one.

 
 
If all goes well, you should have your completed markings.  The used mask parts are kept handy in case any paint repairs need to be done but I don't think I'll need them for the bottom crosses.



 

I definitely can count patience as one of my modeling virtues!  That's why I like to work on multiple kits at the same time... it helps to have something else to jump on when I hit a stall point.
 
Back to the Border 190A build, I have gone ahead and glued the nose ring cowling and the top gun trough part into place.  The gun trough part was a candidate to be removable but it just would not seat properly without glue.



 
 
The remaining three panels (gun cover + two side engine cowlings) are pressed into position to see how things stay in place without glue.  There are gaps but at this point, they are small enough for me to overlook.



 
 
Based on my previous dry-fitting, the cowling guns may interfere with the fitment of the gun cover so I'll have to keep an eye on that.  If can't replicate the fit you see here with the guns in place, I may have to glue the gun cover down.

 

Thanks Maxim and Matt, appreciate the comments! 
 
No problem Denis! I’m sure you will love it when you get your hands on one! 
 
Thanks Woody, that’s very kind of you and high praise indeed. Not sure it really stands up compared to the work of some of the masters on this forum but thank you nonetheless! 
 
Not too much progress since my last update but I did spend the best part of a day assembling one of Peter’s (of Airscale fame) intricate Sutton harness sets. It comes as a laser cut paper sheet and two tiny photoetch frets - one in nickel-silver for most of the buckles and fittings and one in brass for the strap ends and (miniscule) brass eyelets! 
 
It is definitely very fiddly to put together but the end result looks soooo much better than the kit photoetch belts or any other aftermarket product. My only criticism is the lack of printed stitching on the belts themselves, I think that would really take them to the next level, if it is possible given the materials used. There is a toothed corner to one of the included frets to use to emboss stitches but that was a bit beyond me when I tried it. I may yet try to paint some on though, we’ll see…
 
Anyway, here’s what they look like put together:

Highly recommended!


That’s all for now folks, but hopefully more to come very soon! 
Cheers,
 
Will

Thank you all for your comments and detailed information on the A-5/6.  Great stuff!  Just a reminder... I am not a 100% accuracy guy.  Starting from the wing bottom gun covers, there are going to be some inaccuracies on this build.  The issues that I can correct and WANT to correct, I will attempt.  Otherwise... thank you for the info but I'm not going to do it.  The length of the MG17 barrels should be easy to adjust but... one of the barrels already has a hairline crack in it from the drilling of the cooling holes.  And I'll consider adding the little bumps... shouldn't be too hard.
 
Back to the build... The headrest/armor part has been assembled and painted.

 
 
Unlike the Dora, the Anton had a pulley system that kept the aerial line taut when the canopy was slid open.  I thought I'd add the wire inside the canopy.

 

 

 
 
New product!  Being lazy and not wanting to mask the clear parts "manually" and lacking my go-to masks from Eduard, I thought I'd give this new company (new to me, anyway) a try.

 
 
Mask material is similar to the Eduard stuff and yellow Tamiya tape.  The masks pieces have numbers, which is a great idea as it prevents confusion over mask orientation.  However, no instructions are included so you have to figure out placement yourself, which is not difficult on a simple canopy like the Fw 190. I found the fit of the masks to be superb with one small exception.  The small cut-out for the aerial connection tab was a hair too small.

 
 
The painted Revi 16B gun sight is now glued into place.  The opening for the gun sight has been enlarged to fit the slightly longer Quickboost version.

 
 
Some views of the cockpit before I cover it with the masked clear parts.

 

 

 

 
 
The clear parts are secured into place using Tamiya Extra Thin cement.

 
 
After a couple of dry-fitting attempts, I found that my decision to glue the inboard wing gun covers into place resulted in them sitting uniformly too low in relations to the fuselage.  So I had to add a shim there.

 
 
The wings are now glued onto the fuselage.  The fit, with the exception of the aforementioned gun cover joint, was very good.

 
 
With the major airframe components now secured with glue, I was curious to see how the engine cowling parts would fit.  So I put them together using just tape.  Again, the fit is excellent.  Really impressive. 

 

 

 

 
 
I am not going to pose any of these panels open.  I prefer to preserve the lines of the aircraft. But I am thinking about having at least one of the engine panels removable.
 
Here are the MG17s in place and how the barrels might be too long.

 
 
The wheels have been painted and weathered and the masking tape from the oleo section has been removed.

 
 

Thank you Sean and Matt!  I am learning from your builds as well.  It's good to have other modelers that encourage and inspire us to do better work.  
 
I've finished the detail painting of the cockpit tub.  Nothing added... just painted what's there.  The molded detail is really sharp-edged so it makes painting so much easier. Maybe too big and bold on certain details such as the raised rivets.  After the hairspray chipping and a dark panel wash, I applied a little bit of dry pastel to the foot areas to dirty it up a bit.  Not going to spend too much time on the weathering since the cockpit gets pretty much swallowed by the pinch of the fuselage sides.



 
 
The seat and foot pedals are glued into place.  The one missing thing is the throttle lever, which I regrettably lost to the carpet monster.  It was nicely detailed and I wanted to show it but it's gone and I'll have to scratch a replacement.





 
 
The intrument panel is temporarily placed onto the cockpit tub to check fit.



 
 
Double checking to see if the modified instrument panel mount puts the upper IP in the correct position.



 
 
Almost getting to the point where I can glue the fuselage halves together.

 

Thank you for the comments and great information.  It's good to know that Border got the A-6 outer gun panels right.  
 
A little bit more to share on the Border build. The lower instrument panel received paint as well.  I highlighted certain instruments with color with tape masks punched with holes.

 
 
The smaller range of Airscale instrument decals were small enough to fit so I used them here instead of the kit decals.

 
 
Not yet glued, I've placed the upper panel on top of the spacer fitted to the lower panel to show how they look together.

 
 

Some of the engine components have been painted but not yet weathered.

 
 

John, I've said it before but it bears repeating. There are two types of build threads. One reports on milestones and sometimes setbacks but basically sketches out the build.  
 
The other, and yours is the loadstar, is an informative "here's what I am trying to do, here's what worked and what doesn't work and why" so that people following can get into your method, learn techniques and approaches, and take valuable insight and techniques. 
 
I love and follow along and even use (or try to) the specific, well described methods to make me a better modeler.  
 
My T bolt, and hopefully my Corsair, are head and shoulders better than I ever could have done toiling in my garage.  The internet is many things, but it has really helped me be a better modeler. 
 
Thanks for your threads.  You aren't the only one who does this, but thank you. 

Bravo John,
I enjoyed your journey through a not often trodden road. Excellent attention to detail and comprehensive step by step.
 
Thanks again.
 
Regards,
Kent

Thank you, Richard!
 
Thanks Sean!  Hasegawa always does a great job with Japanese subjects and I've heard that the Ki-84 kit is a good one.  So it should be enjoyable for you to build and for us to watch!
 
 
Lot of stop and go on this project but it looks like it is approaching the finish line.  Yes, time flies, especially for us old dudes.
 
 
Thank you, Alan!  Almost all of my 1/32 work is per commission.  But I currently have a backlog of builds that I've yet to mail out.  Those are kept in a dust-proof cabinet until its time to ship.
 
 
Thank you, Kevin!
 
 
Thanks, Troy!
 
 
Thank you, Mike!
 
 
Thanks, Nick! I appreciate the opportunity to share and post here at LSP very much.
 
 
Thanks, Matt!
 
Rolling toward completion, slowly but surely.  The landing gear legs have been glued into place.



 
 
After the glue dries and legs are solidly in place, I attach the wheels with 2-part epoxy (JB Kwik Weld).

 
 
The epoxy gives me time to orient the flat spot of the tires onto the ground.

 
 
The covers for the landing gear and the inner wheel well doors are glued on next



 
 
The Hien is on her own legs.  Only a few more bits and pieces to add.  The next update will probably be an RFI!

 

The landing lights are solid resin pieces that came with the Wolf Pack conversion.  I painted the lights silver and then clear blue (or red) over that.

 
 
The Ho-103 machine gun barrels for the wings, which I fashioned from sections of brass tubing, have been painted and glued into place.



 
 
The Ho-5 20mm cannon barrels are metal and came with the Wolf Pack conversion.  These were painted and glued into the cowling.



 
 
The resin exhausts and the baffle plates riding above have been glued into place.  Previously, the exhaust stains were built up during the post-shading process.



 
 
The tail wheel and the small actuators for the tail control surfaces are glued in.

 
 
I think all of the spray work has been done so I can finally pull of the canopy masks.





 
 
I have two version of the sliding canopy section, one closed and one open, so I can alternatively show the canopy in the open position.

 
 
You can see the oxygen mask I made lying on the seat.

 
 
Just a few more bits to go and this one will be finished...

 

Thanks guys!  I initially saw this scheme on a Hasegawa box top and thought that it was a cool scheme that I don't commonly see.  Plus, it happened to be a Tei variant, of which I had the Wolf Pack conversion... easy choice!

 
 
Markings have been tweaked and massaged.  At this point, the major painting is complete so let's take a look at her in the light box...













 
Clear coat and decals are next!
 

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!
 
It's the same PSI that I use to shoot paints with.  Which is about 15-20 PSI.  You want a nice wet coat of thinner, not a mist.
 
 
Just started playing with this technique so I'm not an expert but for me, the wetter the better.  Volume-wise you probably want to keep it short of pooling.  But even if it pools, it will eventually level out. I actually want that fresh paint underneath (black in this case) to "run".  Obviously, you wouldn't do this if you have a second color underneath to worry about such a two-tone camo scheme or over a hair-spray chipped layer.  But on gloss black over primer, I want that thinner to cut into the black as much as possible.
 
 
 
I don't even clean the airbrush or cup.  Just drop some MLT and spray immediately over the freshly-applied color.
 
On top of the black base, I started to spray Alclad on the bottom.  For the primary color, I used Polished Aluminum, which is one of their "High Shine" finishes.  The stuff dries so fast that repeated spraying causes a fine dust or even spider-webbing to appear on the surface of the model.  This can be brushed off afterwards.  

 
 
I used a few different Alclad shades such as White Aluminum, Dark Aluminum and Stainless Steel to highlight separate panels.  I may add more.





 
 
The hinomaru and aileron masks are removed at this point.  There is a slight ridge of black and metallic paint around the hinomarus that needs to be carefully knocked down as much as possible without marring the surrounding metallic paint.  There are also some small black paint leaks that crept in under the mask.



 
 
Right now the metal finish is very reflective. This is going to get knocked down considerably when I apply the clear coats.  Here are the stabilizers with a clear coat to show the change.



 

Damian,
Book arrived here in Australia today safe and well. Many thanks.
 
Kent

Damian,
Book arrived here in Australia today safe and well. Many thanks.
 
Kent

Thanks guys!
 
 
I personally don't like the stressed-skin or oil-canning effect that Infinity Models applied with the riveting.  So I wanted to see what the model would look like if I removed the oil-canning and most of the rivets.  I used this photo of a shot down D3A1 to illustrate my rationale...

 
 
Back to the instrument panel... I had a set of Airscale 1/32 Instrument Panel Bezels so I thought I'd use them to dress up some, not all, of the instruments.

 
The instrument panel was painted in the cockpit color, which I've chosen to be Dark Green RAF (Mr Hobby Aqueous H-73).  The instruments were punched individually from the decal sheet.  I'll do a bit of detail painting on the IP before I call it done.

 
 
Interestingly, fuselage interiors are dressed up with spars and trusses.  You don't see this approach on many kits and yes, it is a bit tedious but you DO get a nice 3-D effect.  The instructions aren't clear but I found the best fit when the little tabs on the vertical spar pieces hang right above the corresponding horizontal spar on the fuselage.









 
 
Why oh why did Infinity mold the seats in two pieces?  Totally unnecessary, IMO.



 

Doh,
Damien not Matt!

Just about to a place where I'm happy with the decals. Still some tiny spots of silvering to hunt down and remove, but it's 90+% better than it was a few days ago.  It's been sealed with another gloss coat to protect everything, and next it'll be time for some weathering and washes.
 
I did airbrush and brush in the touchups, looks like I have a couple more to still fix. Finding the right red shade was definitely a lucky coincidence, it blends in perfectly.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
Please let me know what you think.
 
 
 
Matt 

That looks pretty good to me, Matt!
 
Kev

Hi Matt,
I don’t know if this will assist or be even a reasonable offer of advice at this point. You have some of the top minds already offered you their wisdom. I have a mate that swears by the use of a linen pad dipped in moderately warm to hot water and held firmly over the decal. Apparently the heat is sufficient to stretch the decal without causing an issue? No doubt test it first and I assume you would need to be wary of any splits in the decal so no moving the pad during application.
 
Best of luck,
Kent

Hi Matt,
I don’t know if this will assist or be even a reasonable offer of advice at this point. You have some of the top minds already offered you their wisdom. I have a mate that swears by the use of a linen pad dipped in moderately warm to hot water and held firmly over the decal. Apparently the heat is sufficient to stretch the decal without causing an issue? No doubt test it first and I assume you would need to be wary of any splits in the decal so no moving the pad during application.
 
Best of luck,
Kent